Kirwan questions 'tough' TMO call

Blues coach John Kirwan is going to ask SANZAR for 'clarity' on a controversial TMO decision made in his team's 36-39 loss to the Lions in Johannesburg at the weekend.

While Kirwan conceded the Lions were "deserved winners", he still felt the need to raise the issue of the TMO decision.

On route to the tryline it appeared as if a Blues player knocked the ball out of Lions centre Deon van Rensburg's hands.

The ball spilled into the ingoal area, with Coenie van Wyk falling on the loose ball for the try.

South African Stuart Berry initially referred the incident to the TMO (Johan Greeff of SA) – when it was unclear whether Van Rensburg knocked the ball on or whether it was the Blues player that knocked it out of his hands – before the try was awarded.

"We probably didn't deserve to win, because we made too many mistakes in the first half and the [first] yellow card [when prop Charlie Faumuina was sen to the sin bin for repeatedly collapsing the maul on the half-hour mark] was a two-try affair," Kirwan said.

"As a result we came into the second half under the pump," the Blues mentor added.

"I'll be asking Lyndon [Bray, SANZAR's head of referees] about the TMO decision.

"That was a bit of a tough one at a critical moment so we will have to have a look at it.

"Last week [in the loss to the Bulls] there was a double movement which went against us, which everyone admitted was a double movement.

"That's three weekends in a row where we have had calls go against us. It's frustrating."

The Blues boss said he thought the Lions "deserved" to win in the end.

"I thought we could have stolen it, but we have to give ourselves a better chance."